Identifying and engaging local stakeholders as a key first step towards planning for sustainable urban logistics and freight
Local authorities are essential in providing infrastructure and regulations to facilitate freight flows, feeding urban markets while seeking to manage crashes, congestion and other negative impacts.
A city's movement of goods and materials generally does not follow any overall ‘plan’ as thousands of individual freight vehicles operate in dense urban networks shared with people, retail, religious functions, livestock, cultural heritage and other elements. It results from multiple independent commercial, private and public activities with their own dynamics and rhythms.
If conditions are favourable and markets are competitive, this can lead to responsive solutions, efficient deliveries, and low prices. However, in many cities, the situation isn’t favourable. Logistics activities are linked to excessive traffic, redundant capacity, unhealthy pollution, and periodic chaos. However, interventions to combat such problems are often reactive at best, with authorities responding to emergencies, chaos or crises as they unfold.
Engaging local freight stakeholders
Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans (SULPs) provide one approach for authorities to act proactively. However, authorities need to actively engage local, national and international freight stakeholders to implement change successfully, as highlighted in the European SULP topic guide published by CIVITAS in 2019. This key lesson from European cities likely applies to other parts of the world.
An initial step for many cities in Europe and elsewhere has been to initiate dialogue with operators and associations in the local freight market. These typically include freight forwarders, transport operators, shop owners, market operators, business associations, urban environment groups, and logistics experts. Under the ‘Local Freight Partnerships’ umbrella term, stakeholders are invited to meetings to inform and discuss current problems or require stakeholder views on existing and potential upcoming national or local policies. Particularly interesting examples are those where initial meetings have led to the establishment of more permanent fora that emphasise joint public and private participation, for example, the so called ‘Freight Networks’, ‘Urban Freight Partnerships’ or ‘Multi-Stakeholder Platforms’.
Local Freight Partnerships in Practice
A good practice example for a Local Freight Partnership is the Copenhagen Freight Network, initiated by the City of Copenhagen in 2015 simultaneously with the start of the European urban freight project NOVELOG.1 The network involves various companies, urban logistics organisations, and independent experts. It is an informal forum for information exchange and face-to-face dialogue, discussing upcoming noise regulations, proposed area restrictions, or access to unloading spots. In 2021, the network was extended to include the Greater Copenhagen Area and regional authorities. The network has also informed more concrete projects, where some member companies have committed to deliver specific (normally well-guarded) operational data. This is the case for the ongoing DISCO project, which is currently building a ‘digital twin’ of Copenhagen’s freight flows, aiming to serve as a basis for the City’s upcoming SULP. Arguably, the long-standing freight network has been instrumental in building mutual interest and trust.
Three key takeaways from academic research into freight partnerships2
Research on stakeholder engagement for freight partnerships highlights the following takeaways:
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In-person meetings are essential for networks/partnerships to foster a conducive environment for real (practically useful) information sharing.
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Both short-term and long-term perspectives are essential. There is a need to deliver short-term results (for example, implementing a specific local solution) to keep the private sector engaged in the network. However, the most important effects of the network may only emerge after a more extended period of mutual exchange and trust-building (such as companies willing to share operational data).
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The network is more likely to succeed if it is not purely informal but anchored in realistic political and planning decision-making.
It is essential to note the challenges and obstacles of creating freight partnerships in developing cities. Identifying stakeholders who speak on behalf of various groups, such as local transport operators or retail owners, might prove challenging, and the informal nature of local logistics systems complicates the issue. Consequently, poor representation of key stakeholder groups can induce mistrust and discredit the programming of new infrastructure or regulations.
Despite these challenges, identifying and engaging local urban freight stakeholders must be a priority. Building on this approach, cities can move towards developing SULPs and establishing sustainable and efficient logistics systems.
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Recommendations on Stakeholder Engagement in the European Topic Guide on Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans It is recommended to build a stakeholder platform including the following groups:
Topic Guide: Sustainable Urban Logistics Planning, Aifandopoulou et al. (2019) |
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1. Website of Copenhagen Freight Partnership + personal conversations
2. See Lindholm & Browne (2013); Bjørgen et al. (2021)